The Government is yet to say when it will increase defence spending from 2.3 per cent to the target, but Downing Street insisted on Sunday that the commitment remained unchanged.
And the US President has suggested European NATO members should be paying as much as five per cent, repeatedly chastising allies for not digging deeper to boost security in Europe.
He will then head to Washington at the end of the month, where he is expected to inform the President of the outcome of the discussions.
“The policy we stood on at the election was 2.5 per cent, that remains our policy commitment,” a No10 source said.
A timeframe for hitting the defence spending target is expected to be set out in spring, alongside a “strategic review” which will look at where the money is currently being spent.
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Read MoreAhead of the election, Labour said it would “set out the path to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence” and promised the target would be hit when public finances allow.
The Sunday Times reported Starmer had met with the Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and the heads of the armed services, who are calling for spending to increase to a 2.65 per cent.
“We actually have countries in Europe who enjoy the freedoms that NATO and the construct brings them don’t pay a penny into European defence. So it’s not just that there are countries who still don’t spend two percent. There are countries that don’t spend anything,” he told Times Radio.
“Since the very first debate after the election, in the King’s Speech debate on Defence, I’ve been warning Labour of the urgent need to increase defence spending – most importantly to enable rearmament at the pace and scale required given the threats we face,” he said.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the Chancellor knew “more than most people the pressures on public services across the board, but defence has to be the cornerstone of our national prosperity as well as our security”.
“The Strategic Defence Review is wide-ranging, ensuring we look hard at the threats we face and the capabilities we need to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. As we have consistently said, the Review will be published in the Spring.”
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